Saturday, August 25, 2012

Pulled Color is a technique that I filmed for the most recent Technique Junkie newsletter. I doubt that I created this technique as I'm sure someone else did it before me. It is one of those techniques that you just don't want to stop making backgrounds!

Sometimes when I make a background, I think it is so pretty that I just hate to cover it up. The Pulled Color technique ends up just like that. So I choose something narrow to let a lot of the BG show through! I've had this stamp set for 8 months and it hadn't seen ink yet! Hope you enjoy!

Mom Update:
Today was a first for mom........a first since her fall almost two months ago! She came upstairs!! She was really proud of herself and I'm tickled that she is getting well enough to do it. She was tired once she got there and after a little rest she made it back down without having to sit and scoot down. I think it made her feel even better mentally to know that she could do it too! I thank those of you who have included her in your prayers. They are very appreciated!

Saturday, August 18, 2012

Here is my second landscape embossing. AND I misquoted.........the powders are from Stampendous not Hero. I really love this technique for this Embossing arts stamp. I hope that you like it too! I matted it so that it would look like a picture then mirrored the colors in it on the BG panel.

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

This is a cool technique using powders from Hero Arts. I had a little trouble with the black overstamp and think that part could have been a little better. All in all, it was really fun. Tomorrow I'll show you my favorite card with this technique.

Did more weeding today. My back actually lasted a couple of hours and I have several wheelbarrow loads for Ray to haul away! Sure would like to be able to reclaim most of the front yard this year! I have plenty of potted rhodies to fill the areas I've cleared. Got rid of much of the Oregon Grape. I've got lots more in the woods and it just doesn't fit in the front yard area now. I am getting tired, however, of getting my forearms all scratched up! Too hot for sleeves.

My mom is doing better all the time. Yesterday I saw her take about 8 steps without her walker. Now she has something on the bottom of her good foot that hurts. The Chiropracter named it (but I don't remember the name) and said that it was an irritation of a set of nerves. Thank you for your prayers for her!

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

So......today I met with a lady from the Board of Directors for the University Club "Women's Core". Ladies from all over the metro area belong and do activites monthly. In December they have a Holiday Luncheon and invite a few vendors to display their wares for the ladies to shop. This year, I've been given the chance to be one of the vendors (five vendors this year, they think). The lady I met with will present what I do to the Board and they will have the final decision (sometime in Sept) but she was very happy with what I showed her and thought that they would invite me. I sure hope so.....what a wonderful opportunity!! There are usually about 250 ladies at the luncheon.

So.......that was my Ooooooooo!!

Then I come home, decide to go outside and work a little. Cut some flowers for my mom to dry and do a little weeding. I'm over weeding in a very neglected bed when I hear a bee. Uh-Oh!! I got stung a couple of weeks ago so I wanted to make sure I wasn't near another nest. Quietly I waited until I could spy the little bugger. There he was........well.......just a lone bumble bee. Phew! So I continue to weed. Shortly after than I start to feel a little wet near my ankle. Hmmmm.....funny place to feel the sweat from your knee.

So.....I look down......EWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!

It was a Banana slug who had crawled up my LeCross short boots and was making his way to the leg. I let out a shreeek, brushed him off, jumped back and did a little shaking gross dance. Ewwwww!! Okay....you can stop laughing now!!!

Below is a picture of one.....not mine but every bit the same size! ;-)

The picture of this piece really doesn't do the background justice. It is one of those cards that is really more pretty in person! The background is a technique called Pulled Color from the August TJ newsletter. It is hard to see but the SU stamp was embossed in copper and colored with copics.

Monday, August 13, 2012

I filmed this technique for the Technique Junkie August newsletter and it is such a fun technique. When you start making the pieces, you just can't and don't want to stop! Each piece is different. I really love them! One of the newsletter designs said that she made 23 pieces the other week!! Hmmm.....think I'll dig out the supplies again and go at it. It is always fun to have background pieces in reserve!

Sunday, August 12, 2012

I do love this sentiment for the card. Rejoice in the Lord always and again, I say, Rejoice! Phil. 4:4. Makes me just want to run around the house with my hands in the air singing that song! I remember when the kids were little, that was one of their favorite songs. Mom was visiting once when Angie was only about 2 and Jim was 4. I remember her leading them around the kitchen table clapping their hands and singing this song. Hmmmmm.........maybe I should do that with Zander this week!

Saturday, August 11, 2012

Here is a little birdie for you. The bird and branch die are from Memory Box. I wanted the branch to be coming through something so I cut a circle frame. The background is another Bogus Bleach technique from the TJ newsletter.

Speaking of birdies. It has really been a big year around here for baby birds. We had one snag produce a set of chickadee babies, another snag had Red Breasted Sap Suckers....they were really noisy babies. Ray found robin egg remains the other day too. Gotta love trees for the birdies. Too bad the neighbor cut all his trees down.

Friday, August 10, 2012

This is a technique from the August TJ newsletter called bogus bleach. I love how simple it turns out. You can really get the perfect color paper this way too! Lovin' this SU set that I got second hand!

Thursday, August 9, 2012

Here is the second broken border sample I made for the technique. Some of the designers added another border on the open side of the card and it really looks fabulous that way. But, I was striving for that 'simple' look. I don't know why but I sure have a hard time trying to make that 'simple' look in a way I like! Do you have that problem too?

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

What could be more simple than a broken border for your card. Here is a cute one. Not sure why but the camera really didn't like the color....the yellow and blue on the ribbon is really more bright than shown. I think this was a stamp from SmARTworks.

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Here is the second card using the Colorwash Alcohol technique from the August Newsletter of the Technique Junkie newsletter. This is a cute stamp that I purchased from Judy Rozema. Colored with copic markers.....of course!

Monday, August 6, 2012

It is fun to have a number of techniques that I filmed in the new newsletter! Pat named it the Ann-a-rama! Sweet of her to do that.....and fun too! Here is a card from one of those techniques. It is called Colorwash Alcohol. I love the random watercolor look of the background. It is hard to stop making them too! Tomorrow I'll show you another card made from this technique.

Went out to weed tonight about 7:45pm. I waited until later because it was pretty hot here today. I knew the mosquitos would be starting and I would be kneeling in the flower beds to weed so I donned my sweat pants and a long sleeved top to weed. Got lots done and I probably lost 5 pounds of water weight in the process too! Glad the temps will be going back down this week.

I talked with my step mom (who lives in Oklahoma) tonight. I wondered if they were getting any of the smoke from the fires in OK. Sounds like not. She told me that the big news she had for me was that my step-brother, Richard Lemler, was inducted into the High School Sports teacher Hall of Fame! WOW!!! That is really splendid! Congratulations, Dick!!

Sunday, August 5, 2012

I really love this Marker Rainbow Resist Technique. Fast, fun with terrific results. I think there is just something about red and black that make any card pop and this one is no different. The image is from Mark's Finest Papers. The set that this stamp comes in is really wonderful!!! I used it in my laquered frames technique that I shared several weeks ago. The rose bud is colored with copics. The red layer is distressed to give it a little dimension and it is popped up with foam tape as well. I thought it was kind of funny that the amount on the stamp was $.51. Right now we are only at $.45 for a regular stamp so I guess this stamp will be 'good' for a few years! Ha!!

Had a great copic class today at Main Street Stamp & Stationery. Only 6 students this time. Another class is scheduled for the end of September along with a class on a Pyramid box! My next copic class is in Springfield at Karen & Friends on September 8th.

Here is my second Crepe Paper Flower sample. I once again used the stamps from Art Neko/About Art Accents stamps. This butterfly wasn't spritzed quite as much as the other. Now.....I loved the other butterfly sentiment but this one is even better! Makes me daydreak of butterflies doing their crazy dance while they fly. The background stamp is from the sale bin at Michaels. The leaf die is from Boss Cuts. Now that I have dies from a number of different companies, I must say that Boss Cuts is okay but not on the top of my list. Pretty designs but a little more difficult to cut.

Today is the day I'm teaching my second Copic class over at Main Street Stamp and Stationery in Tigard. The first class I taught there was really good. The students said that they were really pleased with it. I hope that this group is just as pleased!

Friday, August 3, 2012

Crepe paper flowers technique.....I sure love these....fast and easy to do too. I have a little glitz on them as well. I had originally colored this Peddler's pack Lovely Lydia for a sample for one of my copic classes but decided that I wanted to tone down the pink in her face. BUT never let an image go to waste! I recolored the face a little to deepen the shadows and it was a little more acceptable to me.

Now that you have been seeing some of the great samples coming from this newsletter you should be asking yourself why you aren't a Technique Junkie! ;-)

You can order CD10 today! The CD has 100 tutorials on it. All of the
issues from October 2011 through this August 2012 issue, plus 10 bonus
techniques. It is only $14.95 plus postage, and can be ordered HERE -- if you
want to renew at the same time, it
is available HERE. The CD will be mailed the first week of September. If you work that out (with postage), that is only $.20 a technique. THAT is a super duper deal. You really shouldn't wait any longer!!

Thursday, August 2, 2012

Faux punched borders sure is a fun technique from the new August TJ newsletter. The border for this technique is the one on the bottom of the card. The butterfly and sentiment are from Art Neko/About Art Accents. I knew the previous owner of Art Neko, Candice. She was such a nice lady. I'm sure the new owners are wonderful too! This butterfly stamp is wonderful for using a technique with your copic markers. I just colored on the rubber, spritzed with copic blending solution and stamped. I love the random color look that this technique gives. Isn't that a great sentiment. Makes me think of spring and pussy willows. The top border of the card is another technique junkie technique called Cut Borders. It is from the April 2012 issue.

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Here is my second card using the Mask and Blend technique from the August TJ newsletter. I used a background stamp from Stamp Camp and sentiment from Stampin Up. Yesterday's card used a leafy background and this one has leaves too but they were a ltitle harder to make out. I loved the color on this one better.

Update on my mom: This is a little improvement every day. On Monday she had a little bit of setback. I think that she was feeling better on Sunday and just did a little more than her body could take!